Personality Disorder and Social Phobia - Common Traits - Research Paper Example

Personality Disorder and Social Phobia Personality Disorder and Social Phobia Objectives The study will examine personality disorder and social phobia, which are prevalent disorders not only in the community but also in the clinical settings. There is a big dispute whether the mentioned two disorders are a representation of different levels of social anxiety disorder. Constitutional, temperamental, and environmental factors can play a significant role in the etiology of social phobia and personality disorder. Therefore, it is important to get sufficient knowledge about childhood experiences so to clearly understand the similarities and differences between personality disorder and social phobia. This essay will focus on the similarities and differences between social phobia and personality disorder in connection with childhood neglect. It will also examine how childhood neglect contributes to the etiology of the mentioned diseases. Introduction Personality disorder and social phobia are prevalent disorders both in clinical settings and general populations. The debate is whether there are differences or similarities between the two disorders. Drawing from the avoidant personality disorder definition, it is a condition whereby one thinks of herself/himself as flawed, inadequate, and inferior. Individuals with this condition tend to feel that people cannot like them. They are also afraid that others will either ridicule or criticize them. Therefore, the fear of rejection, disapproval and criticism always make people with this kind of personality disorder to avoid any form of social interactions, and at times avoid school or work activities, which entail getting into contact /socializing with other people. This makes the affected people miss on social as well as professional networking opportunities, as they enjoy small social circle. Mostly, people with this kind of disorder interact with only the individuals that they are sure like them. Moreover, this group of people is sensitive to criticism and rejection and avoids trying out new behaviors that might put them at risk of being ridiculed or embarrassed (Bungert et al., 2015). Research Section Social phobia might look similar to the mentioned personality disorder. However, social phobia is characterized by fear of drinking, eating, public speaking, and writing for other individuals. It can also be fear of attending parties or addressing authorities or starting conversations. The fear is not only being embarrassed but also others recognizing the fact that they are anxious. When an individual with social phobia finds themselves in the situations that they fear, they experience intense anxiety that is linked to various physical symptoms, for example, sweating, increased heartbeat, shortness of breath or hands shaking. In extreme cases, the mentioned symptoms can translate into full-blown panic/attack (Andrasik, 2005). Consequently, avoidant personality disorder overlaps with other existing personality disorders, for example, dependent personality disorder or schizoid, as well as with anxiety disorder like obsessive-compulsive disorder or panic disorder. The overlap between social phobia and avoidant personality disorder has been widely studied (Andrasik, 2005). There are diverse risk factors that are linked to personality disorders, for instance, parental maltreatment and childhood trauma. According to Andrasik (2005), people with reported childhood neglect or abuse were more likely to suffer from personality disorder or social phobia compared to their counterparts who were not neglected or abused, to be diagnosed with personality disorder particularly during early adulthood. Abuse refers to harmful behavior, maltreatment, as well as non-accidental injury that an adult directs towards a minor. On the other hand, neglect is defined as caretakers’ failure to provide a child with the necessary physical or psychological needs. Mostly, child neglect has not attained a lot of attention in comparison to childhood abuse. Nonetheless, in the clinical settings, child neglect is overshadowed by histories of abuse and maltreatment. Andrasik (2005), points out that parental neglect and abuse can take place mostly in dysfunctional families; thus, contributing to personality disorder or social phobia. Bungert et al., (2005) points out that childhood experience related to peer neglect / rejection, as well as social isolation are prevalent among individuals with social phobia. Kantor (2010), in his study further noted that individuals with social phobia had no (or few) friends during the childhood. Andrasik (2005) adds that love shy men in most cases report peer-neglect experiences, for example, bullying, not having close friends, and excluded from major teams. Therefore, it is evident that negative childhood experiences are likely to sensitize a person. For instance, aversive stimuli particularly of milder intensity might cause exciting fear in an individual’s brain; hence, the likelihood that a person is likely to react with anxiety if exposed to psychological stressors. In the mentioned case, it is evident that social fears are because of non-associative learning. Childhood maltreatment/neglect further interacts with various temperamental factors to influence psychiatric symptoms and personality development (Bungert et al., 2005). Temperament is a personality divergence in motor, emotional, and attention regulation and reactivity that is constitutionally based. Moreover, it is important to note that experience influences temperament, which later influences experience that is transformed gradually as well as integrated into the adult personality. Therefore, shyness is considered a temperamental trait in both social phobia and personality disorder. Nonetheless, prior to other researchers, Bungert et al (2015) found that there is a modest relation between adolescent personality disorder and childhood shyness. In a longitudinal community research, a high percentage of shy children failed to develop a personality disorder or social phobia. However, study conducted by Andrasik (2005) that used clinical and epidemiological samples indicated that the social phobia and personality disorder are linked to particular temperamental factor known as behavioral inhibition. Behavioral inhibition is characterized by shyness, anxiety reactivity, novelty, avoidance of strangers and increased sensitivity. Therefore, the mentioned disorders feature elements of temperamental dispositions. Opinion Neglect is defined as partial or total absence of care, positive attention, or protection. In other words, parents are present but they fail to attend to the children. It is evident that neglect remains harmful to children and the psychological effects are manifold. First, from the perspective of a child, his/her emotional and physical needs might be viewed as irrelevant to the parents. It is so easy to notice a neglected child particularly within the attachment relationship. Neglected children feel that they are not loved. Therefore, as they grow and become adults, the same might feature as social phobia or avoidant personality disorder. Moreover, neglect might interfere with the development of a child’s perception of others as sources of support, comfort or reassurance. The mentioned experiences could then be incorporated into one’s personality and become permanently disturbed. For example in circumstances of severe neglect, children can develop self-image, and lack of trust, hence related to others in a maladaptive way. For instance, they might fail to seek others opinions or involvement pertaining to personal issues. This is because they believe that expectations of others are not important to their needs. Besides, close relationships might contribute to negative self-perceptions thus leading to avoidance of social interaction (Andrasik, 2005). Consequently, it is evident that a childhood/adulthood negative social experience can cause social phobia especially for individuals experiencing interpersonal sensitivity. More than half of individuals diagnosed with a specific trauma or anxiety disorder or a very humiliating social event might develop deviant personality disorder. The mentioned event can be associated with specific social phobia, for instance, pertaining to public speaking (Bungert et al, 2015). Additionally, direct experiences, hearing or observing other people’s social experiences might also result in development of social phobia or deviant personality disorder. Social phobia or deviant personality disorder can be because of long term consequences of being bullied, neglected, and rejected or failing to fit in the family or society. Avoidant adults or shy adolescents who have emphasized unpleasant experiences during childhood, for example harassment or bullying, might develop the behavior (Kantor, 2010). Summation In conclusion, from the discussion above, in comparing avoidant personality disorder and social phobia regarding childhood neglect, temperament and parental behavior, it is evident that childhood experience is related to adulthood personality disorders. Emotional and physical neglect in childhood is one of the risk factors that cause avoidant personality disorder or social phobia. Therefore, the study reveals the potential harm that childhood neglect can contribute towards one’s social life. The relationship between avoidant personality disorder and social phobia is evidently complex. Therefore, future studies should use not only larger but also pure diagnostic groups. Childhood neglect might form part of the relation histories that is woven into self-esteem, identity, in addition to interpersonal patterns of the individuals with avoidant personality disorder. References Andrasik, F. (2005). Comprehensive handbook of personality and psychopathology, adult psychopathology. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. Bungert, M et al. (2015). Rejection sensitivity and symptom severity in patients with borderline personality disorder: effects of childhood maltreatment and self-esteem. Borderline Personality Disorder and Emotion Dysregulation 2, 4. Retrieved from http://www.bpded.com/content/pdf/s40479-015-0025-x.pdf Kantor, M. (2010). The essential guide to overcoming avoidant personality disorder. Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC-CLIO. Read More